MISSION LAUNCH

MISSION NUTRITION - Fruits & Veggies ROCK! 

was launched at Kaufman Elementary School, Conroe ISD, September 2010. 

The first day of the program an announcement went out over the school-wide televised broadcast, 

"Kaufman Cougars - keep your eyes and your bananas peeled for the school nurse during lunch! She will be searching the cafeteria for students eating fresh fruits and vegetables!" 

There will be celebration! There will be prizes! There will be nutrition! 

Bedecked in her fruity hat and lab coat, the nurse entered the lunch room peppy and prepared to praise the perks of making pals with produce. Cherubic faces filled the cafeteria and beamed with pride; their hands clutching apple slices and baby carrots waved wildly amid the cheers "FRUIT LADY! FRUIT LADY!"

Wristbands reading "Fruits & Veggies ROCK!", scented stickers, erasers, and raffle tickets were dispersed and before long, the nurse couldn't walk the halls of the school without stumbling over swarms of small but dedicated fruit and veggie enthusiasts, simultaneously sharing their stories of healthy eating and promising to produce produce if the Fruit Lady would please just show up during lunchtime.

Mission Nutrition launched an exploration of what inspires our children to invite fruits and veggies into their daily lives.

BONUS: the endeavor also transformed the school nurse in the eyes of elementary students from the lady who might give shots to the one with the fun kind of stickers!

THE MESSAGE OF THE MISSION

According to The American Psychological Association, "Food ads on television make up 50 percent of all the ad time on children’s shows. These ads are almost completely dominated by unhealthy food products (34 percent for candy and snacks, 28 percent for cereal, 10 percent for fast food, 4 percent for dairy products, 1 percent for fruit juices, and 0 percent for fruits or vegetables). Children are rarely exposed to public service announcements or advertising for healthier foods." 

Additionally, "Children have a remarkable ability to recall content from the ads to which they have been exposed. Product preference has been shown to occur with as little as a single commercial exposure and to strengthen with repeated exposures. Product preferences affect children's product purchase requests and these requests influence parents' purchasing decisions." and because "Children spend a considerable amount of their time in school settings, where compulsory attendance makes it difficult to avoid exposure to commercial content. Commercial content delivered in schools may be assumed to have the tacit endorsement of respected teachers and school officials, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the advertising." we have a responsibility to make sure the messages we deliver encourage habits that promote health.

There is no question that regularly incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables into our meals improves dietary quality, supports healthy child development, and reduces chronic disease. Let's use our power to make produce popular!

“When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied." 

-Herophilus

TASTE BUDS

Chocolate and I are BFFs, but even best friends need to spend some time apart. I also love almost every fruit and vegetable I have ever tasted.

Walk around a school cafeteria and talk to the students at lunch time, some will hustle to hide their cookie cones and chip bags because these foods are "bad." I make sure they know how I feel..."Ice cream IS delicious!" Then I tell them how fantastic red grapes taste when you freeze them. We talk about our favorite fruits and vegetables and how cool all the different colors are. It's not about making food bad, it's about sharing the awesomeness of highly nutritious, beautiful food!

Telling people what NOT to eat should not be the central theme of promoting healthy eating. Research into effective advertising has shown that talking about what's great about your product is far more persuasive than talking about what is wrong with the competing product. Eating our vegetables should never be equated with punishment! Vegetables are delicious!

If we want our kids to make friends with fruits and veggies; we have to introduce them. Once they get to know each other they can be taste buds, and those friendships can last a long, healthy lifetime.

GO TO THE SOURCE

Nutrient Information

Fruits and vegetables are sources of many vitamins, minerals and other natural substances that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Some of these nutrients may also be found in other foods. Eating a balanced diet and making other lifestyle changes are key to maintaining your body's good health. Fiber Diets rich in dietary fiber have been shown to have a number of beneficial effects including decreased risk of coronary artery disease. Excellent vegetable sources: navy beans, kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, lima beans, white beans, soybeans, split peas, chick peas, black eyed peas, lentils, artichokes Folate* Healthful diets with adequate folate may reduce a woman's risk of having a child with a brain or spinal cord defect. Excellent vegetable sources: black eyed peas, cooked spinach, great northern beans, asparagus Potassium Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain a healthy blood pressure. Good fruit and vegetable sources: sweet potatoes, tomato paste, tomato puree, beet greens, white potatoes, white beans, lima beans, cooked greens, carrot juice, prune juice Vitamin A Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections. Excellent fruit and vegetable sources: sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, mustard greens, kale, collard greens, winter squash, cantaloupe, red peppers, Chinese cabbage Vitamin C Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keep teeth and gums healthy. Excellent fruit and vegetable sources: red and green peppers, kiwi, strawberries, sweet potatoes, kale, cantaloupe, broccoli, pineapple, Brussels sprouts, oranges, mangoes, tomato juice, cauliflower Good sources: These foods contain 10 to 19 percent of the Daily Value per reference amount. Excellent sources: These foods contain 20 percent or more of the Daily Value per reference amount. *The Institute of Medicine recommends that women of childbearing age who may become pregnant consume 400 micrograms of synthetic folic acid per day to supplement the folate they receive from a varied diet. Synthetic folic acid can be obtained from eating fortified foods or taking a supplement.

Page Located on the Web at http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/benefits/nutrient_guide.html

PRODUCE PRIDE

A PRODUCE PRIDE bulletin board displaying students with their lunchtime fruits and veggies is a great way to showcase the MISSION! Students take pride in their healthy choices (and FAME!) and are excited to point out their photos to family when they come to school for lunch and other events. 

POSITIVE "FEED"BACK

THE FRUITS OF THE THE MISSION...

The following are just a few of the quotes from school staff members and parents who were asked if MISSION NUTRITION was making a difference in what they saw students eating for lunch: 

“It's making a difference with my daughter, Aynsley. She always wants fruit in her lunch!”

- 4th grade teacher and mother of a 2nd grader 

“Yes, it is making a difference. The kids are now asking, “Is this nutritious?” 

- 4th grade teacher and mother of a 3rd grader 

“I know it has made a difference in my own child! Her daddy packs her lunch, and she asks him to put things in that are healthy!” 

- Technology teacher and mother of a Kindergardner 

“Well, for me personally...Colton says that he HAS to have 100% juice because it is better for you...and because Mrs. Lubecki said!!!” 

- 1st grade teacher and mother of a 2nd grader 

“My kids LOVE it!” 

- 2nd grade teacher.

Fruits & Veggies ROCK BANDS

Colorful wristbands are incredibly popular with children of all ages!